Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-22

i . ~
and perilous adventure. II Is always
painful to die at 25-and then, what a
/ death,
Even my carbine remained upon the
path above me-instead of defending it
would expose me My poor old mother
l was her only child. had sent her my
pay by the driver Of the Nyon diligence
| Just the evening before, and she had only
this pay to live upon. And Rosette who
would come to the chalet of Trelasse the
following night to meet me-Rosette
whom loved, ana who returned that
| love,
Think Of it, gentlemen. the cruelty Of
| this fate; and | had only been in that
devilish post Of Cure three months, all
| told But 1t is useless to speak of that,
or to tell you Of the fears, the regrets and
memories that threw me into a sort OF
torpor Twas ',enumbed, stupefied, and
at last fell asleep.
suddenly awoke with start. I had
heard voice that to me had the sound Of
hell 1t WAS the voice of Petit Francois
speaking to his brothers
The spy is down there, Of course, ,
said he; but no matter: in any case we
must try the fire, and smoke him ont.
Tune up the yiolinsr Then all was
silencel
"a man in the hour Of approaching
death has such need OF tenderness and af-
lection that I wished even to embrace for
the last time my little Bijou; but where
was he' felt all around me, called him
softly; he was gone-my only friend had
disappeared.
1.-The silence continued perhaps for half
an hour. Mechanically grasping the
handle of my sword, / waited in the dark
ness, determined to sell my life as dearly
as possible in case they should unexpect-
edly invade the cavern by an entrance
known only to themselves.
See my hair, gentlemen; white as the
driven snow, and l am not yet 40 years OF
age! 1t comes from that awful expert
ence. God keep you from suffering the
like!
But all at once, the gcndarme con-
tinued, 1.-THE place was filled with a flash
of light-Petit Francois and his brothers
had begun their internal wOrk-they were
smoking me out. To leave my hiding
place behind the bales of merchandise and
endeavor to eNtinguish the brands would
only be presenting myself rs target for
their revolrers. On the other hand, the
acrid smoke of the burning boughs filled
my throat and stopped my breathing. My
ears already rung and roared with the
noise OF thousand devils.
Al last could stand It no longer, and
cried Ior mercy.
10 not Durh me, fetlt FRANCOIS, 1
begged; DO not burn me, for surrender.
Nil me afterward IL You please, but air
Tor the love OF Tod, give me arr
Then it is you, Abram,' he replied;
you, the spy! So much the better.
long ago reserved you for mOrsel for the
dogs. But, draw him up, boys; draw him
to the top. l want to see the grimaces
he'll make when We hang him TO the
branches. Let down a rope; he'll cling
90 1t fast enough. And be sure, he
added. in lower tone of voice, that no
one else is there
"A moment later the rope descended,
and, like the drowning man who clinGs to
q straw, l was not long in seizing and
lashing myself to 1t, for between two
deaths one is certain TO choose that which
Is furthest off. Pull up" cried Petit
Francois, but scarcely had l reached the
level Of the path when he rushed upon
me, upset me and bound me hand and
foot, and with those never to be loosened
knots OF the contrabandists.
Now, children said he. I'VE must
decamp from here and as quickly as pos
sible. Recover the opening with pine
boughs and snow, and then. Monsieur
Abram, we will take you for prone
made.
The entrance to the cavern again con-
cealed, Petit Francois slackened the cords
which bound my feet enough for NE TO
walk, hung upon my back and neck a
bundle of merchandise and ordered me TO
fall In line and carry like beast of bur
den. All, how those scoundrels laughed
and jecred as they prodded me along with
the ends Of their carbines! You may not
think it from the position was in, but l
began to have little lsnpe. There was
chance, you Sea slight one, it is true
that some of my colleagues would be on
sentry at narrow defile not far from the
hollow Of the Crouaz, where there was n
sort OF breach in the wall for conceal
ment.
''Thc contrabandists evidently had the
same reflection, for they turned to the
right and continued the ascent by a more
circuitous passage, but which would bring
us in rear Of any one on guard at that
point. 1t was now in the neighborhood
of 3 O'Clock. We walked for an hour
longer, when Petit Francois called halt,
and, taking the package / had carried
since we left the hollow, he concealed it in
n crevice of the rocks which overhung the
side.
Take a look at your gibbet, Abram,'
he cried, with mocking laugh. You
cannot say that l have chosen il badly
and he pointed toward monster pine
tree occupying the center of the clearing,
whose branches, thick as ordinary tree
trunks, extended from the sides like the
arms of huge candelabra.
"'All summer long the tourists of the
mountains will come TO call upon you as
you came to call upon me-for which, my
pretty blackbird,' approaching me with
curses, YOU will hang up there
"If you had seen the face OF that mon
ster. his lps trembling with rage. his
hands as big As battledores, and covered
with rough and hairy skin, you would
have known at once that prayers and ap-
peals 10 his mercy would simply have been
time thrown away. 1t only remained for
me to die, and to die bravely for the honor
OF my DIVISION.